Other than a trip which might get the odd mention I will detail projects I am working on, what I want to be working on and what I have otherwise to report on.
I will update the individual projects as they advance.
As asked I have started to catalogue the references I have follow the link on the left where you can obtain them too. Want to email me wander over to qrz.com and you'll find my email address there. Also twitter @m1kta_qrp

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Monday, 27 February 2012

I have always wondered how do the DX stations update their logs so those web site search thingies work? There they are, say there are 5 of them in between operating, eating, sleeping and doing the necessary, and are hammering away through the pile ups and the qrm but how does that fact that I just had a contact a hour before with a station that is on a island in the middle of absolutely nowhere end up in a searchable log!

Cannot be some bod sitting at home listening in and updating it.

I'm thinking about a trip during this summer (maybe someone else might be interested in coming along) and one thing that concerns me is as will be a week long and as seems to be pretty high up the DXCC wanted list is the station dupe to make sure they are 'in the log'.

Now I'll be one station and operating one band/mode at a time not like some monster DXpedition and will not be able to switch between them that easily....anyway this happened a couple times in 2008 when I was 3B8/M1KTA and again in 2010 as HB0/M1KTA often accompanied with a request could I try another mode/band. In at least one case I already had them, didn't realise until later.

The internet connectivity there is well non existent and certainly not at what most are used to with broad band speeds but I am guessing an ADIF log could be sent to somewhere maybe. If the planning logistics so far have been anything to go by I have to do half by fax and normal telephone.

Going to be doing some searches to work it out.

Might be interested in comments. Which DXCC is planned I am going to stay quiet until it becomes more concrete... I do have the licence contact now :-)

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

For those with absolutely no formal training in electronics (like me) this is an interesting offer that has to be investigated.

MIT as some of the other universities in the US (hint search for a course that uses the NorCal20A) have made much of the teaching material available from their courses available free of charge.

Now you can take an MIT courses free too and you do not even need to be in the US.

It will require a commitment of 10 hours a week from March 5, 2012 through June 8, 2012 and there are some prerequisite knowledge wise in physics and mathematics but doesn't sound too onerous. They say: "In order to succeed in this course, you must have taken an AP level physics course in electricity and magnetism. You must know basic calculus and linear algebra and have some background in differential equations. Since more advanced mathematics will not show up until the second half of the course, the first half of the course will include an optional remedial differential equations component for those who need it."

Anyway if
you go to the link I gave him http://www.mydarc.de/dk7zb/Transverter/4m_Transverter.pdf
that will give you the details of the 4m transverter modifications to the 6m transverter but some links are dead/not working for the 6m 50MHz transverter...oops!….. so roll out the
internet archive (I have done the search for you) J and go to

Operating location from a top in alps c2600m

Now this was a perfect SOTA location, I stayed on top overnight and used the flag pole to my right to support a 40m/20m dipole, you can see the fixture I connected to, the little ring clamp, as soon as the cable car stopped for the night out came the radio gear, it even snowed! If I had taken 2m yagi would have been amazing location as line of sight was > 80miles, the Eiger and Jungfau (Bernese Oberland group) are in the photo over my right shoulder. Temp dropped to below minus 15 but the morning operating the grey line was fun 100 or so QSO SSB qrp as HB9/M1KTA/P.